Indian Army Major among six killed in an avalanche in Kashmir

Six people are said to have died and four army personnel are said to be missing due to heavy snowfall that caused avalanches in Sonmarg and Gurez districts of Kashmir. Snowfall has brought activities in the Kashmir valley to a standstill as the area got cuf off from the rest of the country due to heavy snowfall. The snowfall has blocked the only National Highway that connects the mountains to the Valley. All flights to Srinagar have also been cancelled.

A family of four lost their lives as the heavy snowfall forced them inside their house and the weight of the snow crushed them inside the house. Continuous snowfall has resulted in 6 feet of snowfall accumulating in the area.

Guraz is an area with a population of 40,000 people and only helicopters connect the people here with the rest of Kashmir during winters. A High Altitude Warfare School in Sonmarg was also hit badly by the avalanche. An Army Major was killed in this avalanche and 4 others are missing.

Snowfall has been predicted for the next 24 hours and people have been advised to stay indoors for this duration.